Packers look to build on their division lead vs the second-place Vikings
The first-place Packers hit the road this weekend to play the Minnesota Vikings at Noon Central Time on Sunday.
The Packers are 8-2 after blanking the Seattle Seahawks 17-0 last Sunday. The Vikings are 4-5 and in second place in the division after winning 27-20 on the road vs the Los Angeles Chargers.
Despite a losing record so far, Kirk Cousins has put up some very good numbers. In fact, many of his stats are better than Aaron Rodgers right now. He has players who can explode for big plays on any given snap in RB Dalvin Cook and good receivers in Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. Cousins has only been sacked 12 times this season and has thrown 18 TD passes vs only 2 interceptions. He is playing some great ball but the Packers have the #3 defense in the league in both yards and points allowed per game. We need them to rise to the occasion once again.
As for Rodgers, he was rusty last week but still was good enough to get the win. With Aaron Jones on the shelf for a few weeks, the Packers will turn to A.J. Dillon. Davante Adams is probably eager to get into the endzone once again. The Vikings may not be great on defense statistically, but Head Coach Mike Zimmer often finds ways to make things difficult for Rodgers and the Packers’ offense.
Mason Crosby is going through a rough stretch right now, but the Packers still have his back. Let’s make it easier on him by scoring touchdowns and not settling for field goals. Field position will be huge in a game like this.
The Vikings are no stranger to close games. All but one of their games so far this season has been decided by seven points or less. The one exception is a 30-17 home win over the Seahawks in Week 3. In fact, the Vikings are +10 in total point differential despite a losing record.
You cannot take any team lightly in the NFL and this game is no exception. The Vikings defeated the Chargers on the road last week and played the Bengals, Cardinals, and Ravens tough but lost all three games, all on the road. In each of those games, the Vikings were a play away from a win. They were also a play away from losing at home to the still-winless Detroit Lions.
The Packers have won their last two road games vs the Vikings. The stands were empty last season but the Packers will have to deal with the noisy atmosphere once again this Sunday. The Vikings are still the only team to give Head Coach Matt LaFleur a divisional loss, which they did in a game at Lambeau Field last season.
The Packers have a chance to clinch a winning season this Sunday and put some distance between them and the rest of the NFC North as well as keep the top seed in the NFC. Besides, it’s a lot of fun beating the Vikings no matter where either team stands in the division or in the conference.
The way this season and the recent history between these two teams has gone, this will probably be another game that won’t be decided until the fourth quarter. Stay disciplined, stay focused, and be ready for anything and everything. It will get rough out there on the field. I predict a tight game but the Packers making enough plays when it matters the most. Let’s get after it and move on from there.
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
